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| Tara na sa Norte Tourism and Travel Fair |
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| Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) booth |
The
much-anticipated, 3-day“Tara Na Sa Norte” ("Let's Go North")
Tourism and Travel Fair 2013, at the Atrium of Robinson’s Place in
Ermita, is organized by North Philippines Visitors Bureau and Manila North
Tollways Corp. (MNTC), the builder and concessionaire of the 84-km., world-class
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) which has been connected with the
93.7-km. Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway to provide seamless travel between Metro
Manila and Central Luzon.
The MNTC, via this tourism
project, helps the 4 northern Philippine regions promote their destinations and
attractions. This travel fair is a follow-up to the MNTC’s successful
“Rediscovering the North” which sought to rekindle Filipinos’ fondness for
North Luzon’s favorite tourism destinations. MNTC is also the organizer
of the past Lakbay Norte, a media familiarization tour which I joined in
2011.
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| Ilocos Region booth |
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| Central Luzon booth |
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| Air Asia booth |
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| Cebu Pacific Air booth |
The Department of Tourism
(DOT) regional offices in Region 1 (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and
Pangasinan), Region 2 - Cagayan Valley (Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela,
Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino); Region 3 - Central Luzon (Aurora, Bulacan,
Clark Special Economic Zone, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Subic Bay Metropolitan
Authority and Tarlac); and the Cordillera Administrative Region - CAR
(Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province), each had their own
display booths that feature popular, new and emerging tourism destinations and
attractions that are unique to each region.
First started in 2009 and now
on its 5th year, the fair featured audio-visual presentations by the exhibitors
and included such special events as corporate fun game shows (Air Asia, Cebu
Pacific Air and Easytrip); raffle draws of airline tickets and other gift
certificates from hotels and resorts; a tourism quiz bee challenge, band
music (Stonefish band), a flairtending exhibition ("Shake, Roll and
Flair") and marketing and product presentations. Low season
tour packages and airfares plus other special deals also awaited those who
visited the booths during this event weekend.
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| Cebu Pacific Air Fun Games |
The exhibitors include local
government units (the City of Alaminos and the province of La
Union); airlines (Air Asia, Cebu Pacific Air); hotels (Microtel Inns and
Suites, Fersal Hotel Group, Java Hotel, Subic Bay Travelers Hotel and
Events Center, Plaza del Norte, Terrace and Bayfront Hotel, Court Meridian
Hotel and Suites, Subic International Hotel, etc.); resorts (Lighthouse
Marina Resort, Punta Riviera Resort, Puerto del Sol, etc.); tour
organizers (Treetop Adventures, Easy Trip); government agencies (Camp John
Hay, Philippine Retirement Authority, Tourism Infrastructure
and Enterprise Zone Authority); theme parks
(Dinoisland/Clarkland, Dasoland, etc.); real estate companies (Azalea
Residences); cellular networks (Sun Cellular); food manufacturing companies
(Pampanga’s Best, Sweet Heaven Food Products); cottage industries (Edver
Footwear, Edwarson Leathercraft, D5L Embroidery, NEEDCO, EM Leathercraft, Izumi
Designs, etc.) and the Tarlac and Nueva Ecija convention and visitors
bureaus, among others.
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| Exhibitors |
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| North Luzon Expressway booth |
The fair is sponsored by Cebu
Pacific, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Maynilad Water Inc. and Smart
Communications, and supported by Robinsons Land Corp. and North Philippines
Visitors Bureau (NPVB), and managed by the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks
Corp. (PETCO).
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Ms. Grace Ayento (MNTC Sen. Marketing Mgr.), at left,
presenting certificates to exhibitors |
